A team of researchers from IIT Kharagpur has used nano-materials to develop sodium-ion-based batteries and supercapacitors for next-generation energy storage technologies and their use in e-vehicles.
The low-cost sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries would be cheap and are expected to reduce the cost of e-cycles significantly.
The team led by professor Amreesh Chandra, department of Physics, IIT Kharagpur, has researched rigorously to develop Na-ion-based energy storage technologies.
“These energy storage devices can be used easily in electric vehicles and many other applications and will eliminate our dependence on imported lithium, which is found only in a selected few countries of the world,” Chandra said.
“Further development of the technology can help bring down the price of e-vehicles to around Rs 10,000-15,000, making them nearly 25 per cent more affordable than lithium-ion storage technologies-based e-cycles,” IIT Kharagpur director V.K. Tewari said.
Sodium materials are cheaper than lithium-based materials, perform better, and can be scaled up to industrial-level production.
A sodium-ion cell can also be discharged to zero volt, similar to a capacitor, making it a safer option in comparison to many other storage technologies.
As disposal of sodium-ion-based batteries is simpler, it can also help address climate issues.
